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We understand the pressures that are faced and have invested a record £21.7 billion in health and social care in 2025-26, which includes almost £2.2 billion for social care and integration, increasing investment by £1.2 billion since 2021-22. On top of that, our budget makes a record £15 billion available for councils for 2025-26. However, it is important to note that it is for local authorities and national health service boards to work with their health and social care partnerships to ensure that the appropriate social care support services, including third sector support, are in place.

The Scottish budget for 2025-26 focuses on laying the foundations for Scotland’s long-term success and for directly addressing the priorities of the people of Scotland, including those who live in Ms Adamson’s constituency. The budget delivers £890.2 million for North Lanarkshire Council as part of the record £15.1 billion that is made available through the local government settlement. That record funding will help to ensure that people across Scotland, including those in Motherwell and Wishaw, continue to receive the high-quality local services that they expect and deserve.

It is clear that the increased employer national insurance contributions will have a damaging effect on the funding that is available for public services, including those that are delivered by the third sector. At the same time, the compound impact of the decisions to cut the winter fuel payment, to freeze local housing allowance rates and to continue with the previous Government’s welfare reforms can only increase demand for those services.

We are still digesting the impact of the chancellor’s statement today, but there is a clear threat that the repeated attacks on some of the most vulnerable members of society risk creating a vicious cycle of reduced funding and increased demand. We have had confirmation from the Treasury that there will be cuts to our block grant from the welfare cuts from 2026-27 onwards.

As Kenny Gibson said, it is shocking, and it is contrary to HM Treasury’s stated position that this technical change should be budget neutral. Despite my frustration about that, I have now moved on to focusing on securing fair treatment as we move beyond the transition period. From 2025-26 onwards, the funding will not be ring fenced, but will be baselined into the block grant. I have repeatedly raised that issue with the chief secretary, and my officials are working to ensure that the upcoming spending review will fairly reflect the future budgetary impact that will arise as a consequence of the continued application of IFRS 16.

I am pleased that the 2025-26 budget was agreed to on 25 February. That has allowed for general capital grant funding to be reinstated to the SPT, with £12.4 million to be allocated from the finance and local government portfolio. Additionally, the budget allocated £617,025 in revenue grant funding for the SPT from the transport portfolio. Moreover, £25 million is allocated to the Glasgow subway modernisation programme in capital funding from the transport portfolio.

One of the budgetary pressures that is impacting on the SPT is the additional £488,000 that it will be charged each year from the hike in the employers’ national insurance contribution. That will not help the SPT’s position. We have supported the SPT and other organisations with budgets to ensure that they can provide the services that they are required to provide. I will ask Fiona Hyslop, the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, to reply to Neil Bibby on the specific point about the concessionary travel scheme fare issues.

As I understand it, the Edinburgh integration joint board has been discussing those issues. With engagement between officers and third sector organisation representatives, there has been an agreement to extend the existing grants to at least the end of June.

Like Jeremy Balfour, I very much recognise the role of the third sector in the delivery of social care services. It is a cost-effective way of delivering social care services. Ultimately, those are local decisions, but the funding that we have put in place should ensure that the third sector can continue to provide those vital services.

In order to support the affordable housing supply programme, we provided a massive increase in the capital allocation for affordable housing in the budget, which Sarah Boyack did not vote for. We also provided a massive increase in funding for health and social care.

That is not to say that there are no challenges in social care—we absolutely acknowledge that there are challenges. The Edinburgh health and social care partnership has been making good progress on delayed discharge. There was real concern about the situation on delayed discharge in Edinburgh, compared with the situation in other local authority areas, but there has been a significant improvement in that regard.

The funding behind all of that is important, which is why the Parliament supported the provision of such funding.

I am happy to ask my health colleagues to engage with Ben Macpherson on the matter, because we all recognise its importance.

By the end of 2023-24, the Scottish Government will have contributed £171.9 million towards the subway modernisation programme. We have been working with the SPT on the issues. I will ask Fiona Hyslop to respond to Paul Sweeney on the specifics around the £70 million.